History buffs can tell you the tale of our annexation of the Philippines. We purified their rampant corruption but also kept them from having the ability to choose their own destiny. We ultimately did what no "imperial menace" would ever do, and gave the Philippines their independence.

Now, as a big Internet user and newsletter subscriber, I was reading a conspiracy theory discussing a Cold War II against the Red Chinese.

The article argued that our joint military exercises with the Philippines is engineered and partially coerced:

"Washington has pressured the Philippines, _whose_government_it_owns_, into conducting joint military exercises in the South China Sea....
...Washington asserts that China’s territorial disputes with the likes of Indonesia and the Philippines are a matter of U.S. national interests.
...This is all about provoking a long-term cold war conflict with China that will keep profits and power flowing into Washington’s military-security complex...

Additional Details added 2 years ago

Most of you have probably heard of the "military-industrial-complex" conspiracy theory.

It has a legitimate origin from Four Star General (and POTUS) Dwight Eisenhower, who made note of it in a nationally important speech. He warned us all of its existance, apparently. George Orwell, in his famous "1984" tale, mentioned the same, saying that Big Brother's power was dependent on a "permanent war economy".

Additional Details added 2 years ago

WHOOPS!

I made a mistake in the title. This is more a question of Cold War II and the "military-industrial complex" conspiracy.

The Phillipine Islands are a US protectorate. There are two definitions of what a protectorate is. In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains formal sovereignty, and remains a state under international law. A territory subject to this type of arrangement is also known as a protected state.

A second meaning came about as a result of European colonial expansion in the nineteenth century. Many colonized territories (mentioned on this page) came to be referred to as "colonial protectorates", but were not regarded as separate states under international law. Entities referred to as "international protectorates" can become so subordinated to the protecting power that in effect they lose their independent statehood, though there are exceptions.

Given the latter definition of what a protectorate is, it is reasonable to assume, that while the Phillipines are technically their own entity, the US has and can coerce them to engage in a particular behavior. When the cold war was at its peak, all the stops were pulled out in an effort to defeat communism. This included pressing the Phillipine Islands into helping the US in its quest to stop communism.

I didn't use Wikipedia exclusively. I made sure that I had the correct definitions of what a protectorate are, and then made sure I had my history correct. Having grown up during the Cold War, I am all too familiar with what went on.

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The Phillipine Islands are a US protectorate. There are two definitions of what a protectorate is. In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains formal sovereignty, and remains a state under international law. A territory subject to this type of arrangement is also known as a protected state.

A second meaning came about as a result of European colonial expansion in the nineteenth century. Many colonized territories (mentioned on this page) came to be referred to as "colonial protectorates", but were not regarded as separate states under international law. Entities referred to as "international protectorates" can become so subordinated to the protecting power that in effect they lose their independent statehood, though there are exceptions.

Given the latter definition of what a protectorate is, it is reasonable to assume, that while the Phillipines are technically their own entity, the US has and can coerce them to engage in a particular behavior. When the cold war was at its peak, all the stops were pulled out in an effort to defeat communism. This included pressing the Phillipine Islands into helping the US in its quest to stop communism.